Junior Olympiad Past Papers and Grade Boundaries
Below is a table with the grade boundaries for past papers for the UKMT Junior Olymapid, as well as a table with links to lots of past papers and solutions. You can also see more info about the Junior Olympiad, including FAQs, here:
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Junior Olympiad (JMO) Past Papers
This table contains links to past papers for the JMO – these papers are hosted at the UKMT website. The most recent papers are usually made available a couple of days after the challenge takes place and may briefly be available at the official website before this table is updated.
Scores needed to qualify for the Junior Olympiad
This page contains grade boundaries for the Junior Olympiad itself. For the scores needed to qualify, please see the Junior Maths Challenge Certificate Boundaries page.
New Junior Olympiad Format from 2025
From 2025, the Junior Olympiad will have just 6 questions worth 10 marks each, requiring full written answers. Marks for these answers will depend on the clarity of presentation and explanation (i.e. your working out!) as much as the answers themselves. A solution with a correct answer may only score 2 out of 10 if not accompanied by any working. An incomplete solution without the right answer might score 2 or 3 marks, and near-complete and complete solutions could score 8,9 or 10 marks each.
Junior Mathematical Olympiad Merit + Distinction Boundaries (JMO)
Prior to 2025, the JMO had two sections. Section A had 10 questions worth one mark each – they were not multiple choice but had a single numerical answer. The six questions in section B were worth up to 10 marks and required full written answers, just like all of the questions do in the new format from 2025. From 2025 onwards there will be no Section A.
There are two sets of boundaries for the JMO. The top 25% of participants receive a certificate of Distinction, and the next 40% receive a Merit. The top 200 students also receive a book prize and a Gold (top 40), Silver (next 60) or Bronze medal (next 100) – boundaries for these are listed further down the page.
Any student who qualified directly from the Junior Maths Challenge will receive a Certificate of Qualification (see this page for qualifying scores). Other students who do not meet the Merit threshold will receive a Certificate of Participation.
Prior to 2022, Book Prizes were awarded to the top 50 scorers, but with slightly different conditions about which questions counted compared to the medals. So the rule changes have made things (a little!) simpler.
| Year | Book Prize | Distinction | Merit |
| 2025 | All medallists | 33 | 22 |
| 2024 | All medallists | 38 | 20 |
| 2023 | All medallists | 36 | 21 |
| 2022 | 29 | 16 | |
| 2021 | 56 | 37 | 12 |
| 2020 | no JMO | due to | pandemic |
| 2019 | 59 | 45 | 8 |
| 2018 | 48 | 32 | 8 |
| 2017 | 52 | 36 | 8 |
| 2016 | 52 | 34 | 8 |
| 2015 | 45 | 28 | 8 |
NB: Prior to 2023 things were slightly different. There were still two sets of boundaries for the JMO – one for Merit and Distinction and then more for Gold/Silver/Bronze medals. The top 50 (50 people not percent!) scorers also received a book prize. Then the top scoring 25% of candidates receive a certificate of Distinction, and all candidates who have made a good attempt received a Certificate of Merit.
Junior Mathematical Olympiad Medal Boundaries (JMO)
There are also boundaries for Gold/Silver/Bronze medals.
The top 40 scorers receive a Gold Medal, the next 60 a Silver Medal and the next 100 a Bronze medal. All medallists will also receive a book prize. Section A does not count towards medal scores. Since 2023, all Section B marks count towards the medals. Previously the rules were slightly different with only substantial answers counting (see below for details).
| Year | Gold Medal | Silver Medal | Bronze Medal |
| 2025 | 42 | 39 | 36 |
| 2024 | 50 | 43 | 38 |
| 2023 | 51 | 44 | 36 |
| 2022 | 48 | 41 | 34 |
| 2021 | 57 | 47 | 37 |
| 2020 | no JMO | due to | pandemic |
| 2019 | 59 | 55 | 45 |
| 2018 | 48 | 40 | 33 |
| 2017 | 54 | 44 | 36 |
| 2016 | 55 | 44 | 35 |
| 2015 | 46 | 37 | 27 |
The rules changed around 2022/2023. Previously: Gold medals were awarded to the top 30 students, Silver to the next 60 students and Bronze to the next 120 students taking the paper. (Section B scores of 4 marks or lower did not count towards the medal scores, only attempts to individual questions scoring 5 or above)
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